Nabil Bentaleb Playing with Spurs’ Under-21 team is Good

Nabil Bentaleb hasn’t featured much for Spurs this season, but playing with the second team is a good sign that he still has a future.

Despite what has previously happened with a couple of players who used to be involved in the first team, who were relegated to the second team to train. It signified that they didn’t have a future. Except this has only happened two or three times since Mauricio Pochettino took over as manager.

Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon were training with Spurs’ Under-21 team this past summer before the two of them would be released and sold, respectively. Andros Townsend on the other hand, wanted to get back into match fitness because he hadn’t been involved that much this season.

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Townsend getting sold was more about being surplus to requirements than not having a future. The 24-year-old had a future with Spurs, it’s just unfortunate he put himself in a situation that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

A minor incident with his fitness coach that essentially tarnished his reputation with the club in Mauricio Pochettino’s eyes.

With regards to Nabil Bentaleb playing in an Under-21 match, it’s because he’s been given an opportunity to get fit for a chance to potentially play in upcoming fixtures.

Because Nabil Bentaleb isn’t a full-time starter with Spurs this season at defensive midfield; that’s now Eric Dier’s spot to lose. And because he isn’t necessarily a backup player either, seeing as how Mousa Dembélé could fill in at holding midfield very well (see Spurs vs Liverpool).

Then getting an opportunity such as he was given earlier in the day is massive. It shows that Pochettino sees a chance to rest Eric Dier to keep him fully rested for more important matches in the Premier League, with 13 games remaining. This is the main reason why Nabil Bentaleb was playing with Spurs’ second team.

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This move, whether it was Bentaleb himself or Mauricio Pochettino, didn’t mean that the 21-year-old midfielder would be sold. Because it wouldn’t make sense on many levels. One which would mean Spurs wasted their time in having a dragged out contract extension, because Nabil Bentaleb was holding out.

Besides, with playing time being hard to come by, the Algerian midfielder had to get some minutes elsewhere in a competitive fixture.

And expecting Eric Dier to continue playing as many games as he has while still being a possible selection for both the FA Cup and Europa League would be detrimental to Pochettino’s squad.

Because losing Dier to fatigue, a dip in form, or an injury, would halt Tottenham’s goal of getting as far as possible in three competitions this season.

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So there’s no need to worry about Nabil Bentaleb’s involvement with the second team. There’s only so many games where Bentaleb can get consistent minutes without Mauricio Pochettino sacrificing Eric Dier during important fixtures that are coming up.

And if anything, should Nabil Bentaleb perform well, there will actually be competition for the defensive midfield spot with both players pushing each other to get better. Because having two solid options at the holding mid position is better than one.